The present invention relates to a scanning apparatus for cross-sectional inspection equipment and more particularly to a scanning apparatus in which an X-ray source and a detector, which are arranged facing each other with an object to be inspected in between, reciprocate along and rotate about a required cross-sectional inspection plane of the object.
In general, this type of equipment comprises a scanning apparatus and an image processing apparatus including a computer. The scanning apparatus has an X-ray source and a detector which are positioned facing each other with the object in between. The X-ray source and detector are arranged so that they both travel parallel to the required cross-sectional plane of the object to be inspected for scanning, and in turn both are rotated through a small angle and then caused to travel again for scanning, and these steps are repeated. Generally, parallel scanning is performed after each rotation of one degree from 0.degree. to 180.degree.. The detector collects data in the form of X-ray beams and transmits it to the computer built in the image processing apparatus on which the data is displayed as the cross-sectional image of the object. This type of inspection equipment is already known -- for example, Japanese Patent Application No. Sho 49-47032 (Publicized Patent No. Sho 50-28385, Publication Date -- Mar. 22, 1975) which is based on British patent application Nos. 19528/73, 38817/33, 39070/73, 39420/73 and 47507/73.
Such prior art inspection equipment is composed of a rotating disc, an object-supporting means provided at the center of rotation of the rotating disc, and a movable bar on which the X-ray source and detector, both being mounted on the rotating disc, travel parallel to the required cross-sectional plane of the object to be inspected. The rotating disc is rotated through a small angle -- for instance: 1.degree. -- each time the movable bar travels. The movable bar is driven by a motor and an endless belt, and the rotating disc is driven by a separate motor the rotation of which is synchronized with the movement of the movable bar.